I'd really like to show my horse in low level halter shows but I don't use leather. I've been searching for awhile for any kind of brown synthetic Western show halter out there or maybe even a plain synthetic halter I could get blinged up without it looking like crap, but the only synthetic halters I've found were that cheap, tacky stuff, not anything that would ever pass for real leather even from miles away.

I've been a veg equestrian for many years successfully and been able to find everything I needed veg-friendly and nice quality except for this. Has anyone ever come across something like that? Or do you think it's probably hopeless?

If it's pretty certain there's no way I'm going to find that, since I don't really know anybody I can borrow a leather show halter from, how would you see our chances of being marked down for using a plain but nice quality brown nylon web halter in a very low level local show? From what I hear it's pretty well frowned upon no matter where you are, but I don't know. I've been to the shows I'm looking at a few times but didn't really pay enough attention to whether or not anyone there wore nylon halters.

I'm not aiming for the stars here at any point and just want to get out there and do something fun, but of course I'd like a shot at winning, who wouldn't? Though at the same time, it's really not worth getting a leather one anyway just to do okay at some low-level show we're doing for fun...

Lubylol is right that showing hunter in hand would require to you to show in a clean, nice looking bridle. However, if you own a stock breed you most likely will show in halter or showmanship.

I personally showed at a very local show, mostly for the fun of it, in a black nylon halter I bought for my first show season. I did alright and never had a judge question me. The next year I saw a couple other new comers in nylon just out to see if they liked halter classes. If you like showing in halter classes and decide to stick with it, then you can worry about wether or not it's worth buying leather or if you can find something presentable and synthetic.Posted via Mobile Device

If you want to be competitive, you will need a leather silver trimmed halter. Sorry, the judges don't take vegan into consideration. For lower level, you can get away with nylon, but just remember if you & another competitor are almost equal, judges being human, will take the one with the proper show halter.

If it is a very small, local, fun type show then it shouldn't matter TOO much if you show in a clean black or brown nylon halter. I know that I have placed third in a gelding class of 9 with a black nylon halter on my black horse. You may be able to find a "bedazzled" halter too like the one I bought recently which is black and has little fake diamonds on it, it looks very sharp :)

Don't worry, I definitely know in competitive halter classes would require a real show halter. Again, I'm only looking to do some small shows for fun, but halter is definitely not what I'm looking to really pursue, so I'm only asking strictly limited to small local shows, curious as to exactly how much it tends to matter at that level only.

Also, she will be shown technically as a stock horse, although she's a mutt. Gratefully since it will only be at small local shows there are classes for her...and since she's a half Arab mutt she may even get competition, which is why I ask.
I showed one of my previous horses in one of these shows in a clean red nylon halter, but as a grade gelding there was no competition for him (or maybe his competitors saw how handsome he was and ran for it) sp I didn't really get a very good feel for whether his attire affected his grade since he took both first and last places

You can buy brown leather letherthane, a type of textured biothane Its a coated nylon and looks like leather. Can be fancied up anyway you like. It has a slight rubbery feel to it if you touch it but noone would notice it isnt leather unless they do feel it.
I wouldnt compromise my principles to win a ribbon even if I did get penalized for nylon tack.

At local shows, a well fitting nylon halter would look just fine. Infact, at all my Foundation shows, I use a rope halter. I just bought a leather halter in hopes of making my horse look a bit more professional and a way to draw attention away from her head.

you can buy brown leather letherthane, a type of textured biothane Its a coated nylon and looks like leather. Can be fancied up anyway you like. It has a slight rubbery feel to it if you touch it but noone would notice it isnt leather unless they do feel it.
I wouldnt compromise my principles to win a ribbon even if I did get penalized for nylon tack.

That stuff sounds pretty nice! Is it this stuff at zachwhite.com? It sounds really nice but I want to make sure I've got the right place since the required 10ft is a bit of a commitment lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by MangoRoX87

At local shows, a well fitting nylon halter would look just fine. Infact, at all my Foundation shows, I use a rope halter. I just bought a leather halter in hopes of making my horse look a bit more professional and a way to draw attention away from her head.

That's really good to hear! I didn't think rope halters would be accepted, so that's pretty reassuring.

So it's looking like my current plan is to look into this leatherthane (I've always wanted to make my own halter anyway and that stuff sounds pretty cool) and if I don't get that done in time to go with a nice quality brand new nylon one in a colour that would go with our theme.

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